Hair-treating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A HAIR-TREATING APPARATUS INCLUDING A HAIR DRYER, A VAPOR GENERATOR, AND CONTROLS FOR REGULATING BOTH. A CONTROL CIRCUIT THROUGH A THERMALLY RESPONSIVE SWITCH PROVIDES FOR REGULATING THE OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS WHEN THE HAIR DRYER AND VAPOR GENERATOR ARE INTENDED FOR COMBINED USE BY ENERGIZING ONLY THE VAPOR GENERATOR UNTIL LIQUID IN THE VAPOR GENERATOR IS VAPORIZED AND THE THERMAL SWITCH IS CAUSED TO OPERATE AUTO-   MATICALLY ENERGIZING THE HAIR DRYER THEN DEENERGIZING THE VAPOR GENERATOR.

United States Patent [72] Inventor WilliamA.0mohundro Westport, Conn. [21) AppLNo 806,966 {22] Filed Mar.13,l969 [45] Patented .Iune28, 1971 [73] Assignee GeneralElecu-icCornpany [54] HAIR-TREATING APPARATUS 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 219/362, 34/96, 132/9, 219/276, 219/363, 219/364, 219/374 [51] F24h3/00 50 219/276, 364, 369-375, 363; 132/7, 9; 34/3,96100; 4/165,159;337/l5,10l107 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,723,247 8/1929 Martin 4/165X 1,838,372 12/1931 DeCastro.. 337/15X 1,871,591 8/1932 Dary 4/165 9/1934 Martin 4/165 2,854,548 9/1958 Cassidy 337/107 3,004,540 10/1961 Ronzi 34/99 3,114,812 12/1963 Levinn 219/364 3,426,441 2/1969 Broskr 34/99 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,026,491 3/1958 Germany 132/9 Primary Examiner-J. V. Truhe Assistant Examiner-C. L. Albritton Allorneys- Lawrence R. Kempton, Leonard J Platt,

Frederick P. Weidner, Jr., Frank L. Neuhauser, Oscar B. Waddell and Melvin M. Goldenberg ABSTRACT: A hair-treating apparatus including a hair dryer, a vapor generator, and controls for regulating both, A control circuit through a thermally responsive switch provides for regulating the operation of the apparatus when the hair dryer and vapor generator are intended for combined use by energizing only the vapor generator until liquid in the vapor generator is vaporized and the thermal switch is caused to operate automatically energizing the hair dryer then deenergizing the vapor generator.

. PATENIEU JUN28 I9?! SHEET 1 OF 2 v I Inventor W1 lliam A. Omohundro COOL WARM

Attorney MIST - IIUNE PATENTED MlS JUN28I97I HIGH W M T COOL OFF SHEET 2 OF 2 THE RMOSTHT FUSE SWITCH TOP QLIOS 300 WAT T co'F SET L9 2 62 s'zs'a i 500 WAT T I Inventor'- WI mam A. Omohunclro Qttorheg HAIR-TREATING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to hair-treating apparatus and, in particular, to household hair dryers.

There are generally two types of hair dryersnamely, those of the professional type which usually are in the nature of apparatus installed in beauty parlors, and those of the household type which are small portable appliances. The professional type is massive, costly, and operated by a beauty parlor attendant that makes all of the necessary adjustments to the apparatus and controls the hair treatment during its operation. The household hair dryer, on the other hand, is almost always operated by the user alone and the user makes any necessary adjustment to give the desired hair treatment. For this reason, it is particularly desirable to have household hair-treating apparatus, such as hair dryers, that can be operated easily, efficiently, and, if possible, perform several different hair-treating operations.

By subjecting hair to heat or water vapor and preferably both, the cortex or hard outside layer of the hair is softened, and if allowed to dry in a curled condition the hair will be set or curled. Apparatus normally used to apply water vapor or steam to the hair is a vapor generator and conveniently the vapor generator is used in conjunction with a hair dryer. One such hair-treating apparatus that includes a hair dryer and a detachable vapor generator that may be used with the hair dryer or separately in handheld manner is described and claimed in copending Omohundro Pat. application, Ser. No. 764,747, filed Oct. 3, 1968, entitled Hair Dryer Apparatus," and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

Hair-treating apparatus combining a vapor generator and hair dryer were known and used heretofore, however, they have several drawbacks. One drawback is that their controls are not sufficiently convenient for the user. For instance, a common procedure for setting hair consists of rolling the hair on curlers, applying water vapor or steam to the rolled-up hair to soften it, applying warm air to dry the rolled-up hair, then finally removing the curlers. ln proper hair-treating apparatus, the user manually operates a control switch to turn the hair dryer on once the vapor applying portion of the hair-treating operation is completed. This is quite troublesome as many times the switch is located on the base of the dryer which is normally behind the user. Moreover, the user must be careful to adjust the switch correctly to obtain the proper hair-drying temperature setting.

Another drawback of prior hair-treating apparatus is that the user does not know for some time that the liquid in the vapor generator has boiled away an the hair dryer should be turned on to dry the hair. For one thing, the user cannot normally see the liquid in the vapor generator so by the time the user realizes that the liquid has boiled away and turns on the hair dryer, considerable time is lost thus adding to the time it takes for the hair treatment. Even in hair-treating apparatus that do turn the dryer on automatically after the vapor-applying operation has been completed, the controls are such that the vapor generator is deenergized first then sometime later the hair dryer is energized to apply heated air to the hair. This involves a time delay which again results in additional time needed to accomplish the hair treatment.

Another drawback with prior hair-treating apparatus is that their controls are not rapidly responsive to a rise in temperature after the liquid in the vapor generator has boiled away. The result is that the temperature of the vapor generator rises rapidly before the heating element of the vapor generator is deenergizing. This deficiency is particularly important in the case of relatively small, portable vapor generators having bodies made of plastic and capable of being used in a handheld manner. To prevent such vapor generators from being damaged due to excessive high temperature and from possibly injuring the user when it is used in a handheld manner, it is important to have a control that is very responsive to a slight temperature rise above the boiling point of the liquid and which will deenergize the heating element quickly and effectively.

By my invention, there is provided hair-treating apparatus that includes a hair dryer and vapor generator which apparatus has a very convenient control means for regulation of the apparatus by the user. This feature is particularly advantageous when such apparatus is used in the home.

My invention also provides a control arrangement for hairtreating apparatus that includes a hair dryer and vapor generator and which when used in combination with each other does not require the user to know when the liquid in the vapor generator has boiled away but instead the hair dryer is automatically turned on at the right moment and to the correct temperature setting prior to deenergizing the vapor generator, thus saving the user time otherwise lost in performing the hair treatment. MOreover, this desirable feature may be accomplished by a single selector switch setting. My invention also provides a control arrangement for such hair-treating apparatus that is very responsive to a slight rise in temperature above the boiling point of the liquid and will react quickly and effectively to deenergize the vapor generator when the liquid has boiled away.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTlON In accordance with this invention, there i provided hairtreating apparatus that includes a hair dryer and a vapor generator. The hair dryer portion has a hood to be positioned about the head of the user for distributing air to the hair, and electrically powered means and air-warming means for producing a heated air flow into the hood. The vapor generator portion of the apparatus converts liquid to vapor, such as for example, water to water vapor or steam, and is used in conjunction with the hair dryer to apply vapor to the users hair through the hair dryer hood. The vapor generator may be incorporated into or separately connected to the hair dryer and includes a liquid tank, an electric heating unit for furnishing sufficient heat to convert the liquid in the tank to vapor, and a thermal switch assembly that controls the heating unit. The thermal switch has normally closed contacts and also normally open contacts which are movable respectively to open and closed positions responsive to elevated temperatures. An electrical circuit through the thermal switch and its normally closed contacts provides for only the heating unit of the vapor generator to be energized initially when the apparatus is turned on until the liquid in the tank is vaporized or boils away and the temperature is permitted to rise to a predetermined temperature slightly above the boiling point of the liquid, When the predetermined temperature is reached, the thermal switch, which is preset to be activated at the predetermined elevated temperature, operates automatically to close the normally open contacts to complete an electrical circuit to the hair dryer portion of the apparatus thereby energizing the electrically powered means and air-warming means to produce a heated air flow into the hood, then open the normally closed contacts to break the circuit to the heating unit of the vapor generator thereby deenergizing the vapor generator.

Both the hair dryer and vapor generator of the hair-treating apparatus, whether used separately or in combination with each other, may, if desired, be regulated by a single switch.

It is an object of this invention to provide hair-treating apparatus that comprises a hair dryer and a vapor generator that may be conveniently regulated by the user.

It is also an object of this invention to provide hair-treating apparatus that comprises a hair dryer and a vapor generator that will provide by a single switch setting both a vapor-applying operation and subsequently a drying operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide hair-treating apparatus that comprises a hair dryer and a thermally controlled vapor generator which functions to initially energize only the vapor generator until a thermal switch operates to energize the hair dryer prior to deenergizing the vapor genera- I01.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my hair-treating apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a persepective view of a five-position switch for regulating the operation of the hair-treating apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the vapor generator thermal switch assembly.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing schematically the electrical circuit of the hair-treating apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 illustrates my hair-treating apparatus in condition for use, such as in the home, and it generally includes a hairdryer having a base assembly 10, a rigid hood assembly 11 to be placed on the head of a user, an interconnecting heated air duct means 12 which may be selectively adjustable as by telescoping to position the hood comfortably on the user's head, and a vapor generator 13 that expels vapor through the air duct 12 and hood 11 to the users hair. The hair dryer may be the type shown in FIG. 1 where it is contemplated to be used by placing the entire hair dryer on a table or similar appropriate counter top support and the user sits on a chair and positions her head within the rigid hood assembly 11. It is to be understood, however, that other types of hair dryers may also be employed in my invention and that the hair dryer shown in the drawings is merely illustrative of one embodiment of my invention. For instance, my invention may also be utilized in hair dryers of the type that have the vapor generator incorporated in the base of the hair dryer and is not detachable from the hair dryer as in the case of the hair-treating apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

In the hair dryer portion of the hair-treating apparatus illustrated, the base assembly includes a housing which contains the usual means for producing a flow of heated air. That is, the housing contains an electrical heating means for heating air, electrically operated impeller means for causing the heated air to flow and regulating means for both the heating and impeller means including a manually operated selector switch accessible from the exterior of the housing. There is also suitable air passages formed in the housing including an ambient air inlet and an integral heated air outlet which communicates with the air duct 12.

The housing of the base assembly 10 includes a base member 14 and a cover 15 which are secured to each other in any convenient manner. The'base member and cover may be made of a rigid plastic material of any suitable known type. The top of the cover-15 forms a deck 16. Centrally, on the upper side of the deck is formed an air inlet grille 17. A single selector switch operating knob 18 is mounted on the deck and is accessible to the user for manually regulating the drying and vapor-applying operations. Electrical current is supplied to the heating unit of the vapor generator 13 by a cord set 19 that is plugged into the base of the vapor generator and is connected through the base assembly 10 of the hair dryer to an outside power source, such as a wall receptacle.

For the purpose of selectively regulating the hair-treating apparatus, there is provided a five-position switch 30, as shown in FIG. 2, commencing with off," three degrees of heat, and a mist" setting. The switch assembly 30 will only be described generally as the switch forms no specific part of my invention and any suitable five-position switch would be satisfactory. How such a five-position switch functions in this invention is described later in connection with FIG. 4. As those skilled in the art know, the switch includes an insulated housing 31 with four wire lead openings 32 on each of two opposite ends of the housing for receiving wires to make the necessary electrical connections as will be explained later. An insulating cover plate 33 in inserted between the housing 31 and a switch assembly retainer member 34, the latter of which is used to hold the switch together once all of the components have been assembled. A nut 35 threadedly engages a collar 36 through which the switch stem, not shown, passed connecting the knob 18 to the interior mechanism of the switch. The nut 35 is employed to secure the switch assembly 30 to the deck 16 of the base cover l5.

With reference to FIG. 3, the thermal switch assembly 40 for automatically turning on the hair dryer to the correct temperature setting when the liquid in the vapor generator boils away prior to deenergizing the vapor generator is shown. The thermal switch assembly is desirably positioned in close proximity to the heating unit of the vapor generator so that the temperature thereof may be rapidly and efficiently transmitted to the thermal switch. The thermal switch assembly includes a base 41 upon which are mounted the various electrical contact and lead connectors separated by ceramic insulator washer 42. Three lead connectors 43 for attaching wires, such as by soldering, are provided, The thermal switch assembly is so constructed that contact blade 44 carrying button 45 is in contact with contact blade 55 carrying bar 46. Bar 46 helps to rigidify blade 55 and afford good electrical contact. Contact blade 55 is spring biased so that it is normally in contact with blade 44 through bar 46 and button 45 and an adjusting screw 47 is provided to adjust the contact tension during initial calibration of the thermal switch assembly. Superimpose above and electrically insulated from contact blades 55 and 44 is a thermally responsive bimetallic blade 49 that operates in the usual fashion. When the bimetallic blade is subjected to heat, the difference in coefficient of expansion of the two laminated metals from which the blade 49 is made causes the blade to bend. The bimetallic blade carries an elongated button 50 that extends downwardly toward but spaced from contact blade 55. When the temperature is elevated the bimetallic blade 49 bends gradually and with the metal having the lower coefficient of expansion on the side of the elongated button 50, blade 49 bends toward contract blade 55 and button 50 makes electrical contact with bar 46 carried by the contact blade 55. The bimetallic blade 49 also carries a lowresistance ribbon heater 51 that has its outer end attached to and in electrical contact with the upper side of the bimetallic blade and its other end secured to but electrically insulated from the bimetallic blade by an insulating washer 52. The function of this ribbon heater will be described later.

The entire thermal switch assembly is held together by a hollow shaft, not shown, that passes through the center of the insulator washers 42, the lead connectors 43, the contact blades 55 and 44, the bimetal blade 49 and the base 41. The shaft 48 has flanges 53'at both ends to fixedly retain all of the components in their proper assembled position. Also shown is a bolt 54 that passes through the hollow shaft and extends beyond the flange 53. The bolt 54 is not part of the thermal switch assembly but is shown merely to indicate one means that may be used to retain the thermal switch assembly in position relative to the heating unit of the vapor generator. In this particular vapor generator, the bolt 54 is threadedly fastened to the liquid tank base that has the heating unit embedded in it.

For a detailed discussion of the function of the selector switch 30 and thermal switch assembly 40 described above and how these components operate to regulate the hair-treating apparatus, reference may be had to FIG. 4 of the drawings, where the electrical circuit diagram of the hair-treating apparatus is schematically illustrated.

The control switch assembly 30 is schematically represented in FIG. 4 as having a top half 102 and a bottom half 103 electrically isolated from each other in all respects. The outer portion in each case is of electrical insulating material with connection terminals; L2, 81, and B for the top half and L1 l, 2, and 3 for the bottom half. Referring particularly to the top half, L2 is connected to a series of contacts 83, 88, 94, and 100, with the contacts spaced approximately 18 around the arc. S1 is connected to a single contact 99, while B is connnected to three contacts 82, 87, and 93. Referring to the bottom half of the switch 103, terminal L1 is connected to four contacts 80, 84, 89, and 95, again with these contacts spaced along the arc by approximately 18. Terminal 1 is connected to the three contacts 85, 91, and 97 as shown; terminal 2 is connected to contacts 81, 86, 92, and 98; and terminal 3 is connected to contacts and 96. Centrally within each of the switch halves, there is a rotor of electrically conductive material having radially extending contact arms to sweep respective seta of contacts mounted on the insulating outer support, as described above. These independent, electrically conductive rotors, 104 for the top or upper half, and 105 for the bottom or lower half, are mechanically connected to the operating knob 18 for rotationin a step-by-step fashion in 18 intervals, so that radial arms on each rotor will sweep over and engage respective sets of the stationary contacts. In FIG. 4, this rotary switch is shown in the off" position, and the switch is constructed to rotate in four steps in counterclockwise direction.

With the power plug 56 inserted into a proper outlet for providing electric current, and the switch operating knob 18 rotated counterclockwise for the off position to the cool" position, lower conductive rotor 105 establishes a circuit from terminal Ll through contacts 80 and 81 to terminal 2; while upper conductive rotor 104 completes a connection from L2 to B through contacts 82 and 83. An electrical circuit is thereby completed form power lead 57 through terminal Ll, terminal 2, common junction 58, motor 60, common junction 59, terminal B and terminal L2 to power lead 68. The rest of the circuits of the apparatus are open. Thus when the switch is on the "cool" setting only the motor 60 is operating to blow air through the hair dryer and the only heat supplied is that given off by the motor.

When the switch knob 18 is turned an additional 18 counterclockwise to the warm position, lower rotor 105 establishes an additional connection to terminal 1 through contact 85. The electrical circuit now includes in addition to the circuit described above for the cool setting, a completed circuit from power lead 57 through terminal Ll, contact 84, rotor 105, contact 85, terminal 1, 500 watt heater 61, fuse link 67, thermostat 66, common junction 59, terminal B, contact 87, upper rotor104, contact 88 to terminal L2 and power lead 68. In the warm" setting the motor 60 is operating along with heater 61 to blow warm air through the dryer.

By turning the switch knob 18 another 18 detent segment to the high" position, an additional circuit is established through lower conductive rotor 105 to contact 90 and terminal 3, with the rotor also in conductive relation with contact 89 to L1 and 92 to terminal 2. The electrical circuit now has added to it a complete circuit from power lead 57 through terminal L1, terminal 3, 300 watt heater 62, fuse link 67, thermostat 66, common junction 59, terminal B, to rotor 104 through contact 93, and terminal L2 from contact 94 to power lead 68. On the high setting of the switch, the motor 60 and both heaters 61 and 62 totaling 800 watts are energized.

When the knob 18 is turned a further counterclockwise step to the mist" setting, lower rotor 105 connects L1 to terminals 1, 2, and 3 through contacts 95, 98, 97, and 96. Upper rotor 104 now contacts only terminal S1 to L2 through contacts 99 and 100. Hence, the only completed or closed circuit initially is the circuit to the heating unit 65 within the vapor generator 13. This closed circuit is from power lead 57 through terminal L1, terminal 2, common junction 58, cord set 19, heating unit 65, fuse link 64, contact blade 44, normally closed contacts 45 and 46, spring-biased contact blade 55, back through cord set 19, terminal S1, and termal L2 to the power lead 68. In the "mist" setting while vapor is being generated, motor 69 and heaters 61 and 62 are not energized since there is no completed circuit through terminal B to upper rotor 104, inasmuch as there is no electrical contact from the rotor in the mist position to terminal B, as shown in FIG. 4. However, when the liquid in the vapor generator boils away, the temperature around the heating unit 65 is permitted to rise to a predetermined and preset temperature slightly above the liquid boiling point, at which time the bimetallic blade 49 of the thermal switch assembly deflects downwardly, in the manner explained previously, toward the contact bar 46 whereupon the elongated contact button 50 carried by the bimetallic blade 49 makes electrical contact with bar 46 to close the normally open circuits through the motor 60 an parallel circuits through both dryer heaters 61 and 62. The circuit to the heaters is from L1, lower rotor 105, terminals 1 and 3, heaters 61 and 62 in parallel, fuse 67, and thermostat 66 to common terminal 59; with the motor circuit from L1, rotor 105, contact 98, terminal 2 to motor 60 and then to the same common terminal 59. From common terminal 59, the circuit for motor and heaters is completed to L2 through cord set 19,

low-resistance heater 51, contact 50, switch blade 46, cord set 19, to S1, and then through contact 99 to upper rotor 104, and

contact to L2. Thus, when the liquid in the vapor generator boils away the hair dryer portion of the hair-treating apparatus is automatically turned on and the full heat capacity of the dryer is supplied to the user's hair. When the electrical contact is made between contact button 50 and bar 46, the circuit through the vapor generator is also still closed and the vapor generator heating unit continues to be energized. The thermal switch could, if desired, be adapted to provide for simultaneously closing the normally open contacts and opening the normally closed contacts. The electrical resistance heater 51, which has a fraction of an ohm resistance, is mounted on the bimetallic blade 49 of the thermal switch assembly and is energized when contact button 50 and bar 46 make contact to complete the circuit causing the heater to quickly generate heat in close proximity to the bimetallic blade 49. This generated heat causes the blade 49 to continue to bend to a more drastic degree whereby button 50 exerts sufficient force on the bar 46 carried by spring-biased contact blade 55 to disconnect bar 46 from button 45, and the circuit through the steam generator heating unit 65 is opened. By this arrangement the hair dryer portion of the hair-treating apparatus is turned on prior to deenergizing the vapor generator.

The heater 51 also serves the additional purpose of continuing to supply heat to the bimetallic blade 49 thereby preventing recycling, or opening and closing the circuit to the vapor generator heating unit 51.

The foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and variations may be made to the apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

l claim:

1. Hair-treatin g apparatus comprising:

a. a hair dryer including;

l. a hood adapted to be positioned about the head of the user,

2. electrically powered means for providing air flow into said hood for distribution over the head of the user,

3. air-warming means for said air flow,

b. a vapor generator for supplying vaporized liquid into said hood for treating the hair including;

1. an electrically powered heating unit in the vapor generator to convert liquid into vapor,

2. switch means having first normally closed contacts and second normally open contacts movable respectively to open and closed positions automatically responsive to a temperature above the temperature at which the liquid vaporizes, said switch means including means to delay opening the first normally closed contacts until the second normally open contacts are closed,

c. a control means including:

1. a selector switch for energizing said vapor generator,

2. first circuit means connecting said first normally closed contacts and said electrically powered heating unit in the vapor generator in series across a power source,

. second circuit means including said second normally open contacts and said electrically powered means and air-warming means in series across the power source, whereby upon complete vaporization of the liquid in the vapor generator the temperature rises above the vaporizing temperature thereby causing said normally open contacts to close to complete the second circuit means to commence warmed air flow prior to opening the first circuit means to deenergize said vapor generator.

5. The hair-treating apparatus of claim 1 wherein the full air warming capacity of the hair dryer is energized when said second normally open contacts are closed.

6. The hair-treating apparatus of claim 3 wherein the switch 7 means to delay opening the first normally closed contacts includes a spring-biased contact-carrying blade that opens the contacts when sufficient force is exerted on it by the bending of said bimetal blade responsive to said temperature. 

